Mount Olivet

Confederate Circle at Mt. Olivet:

1201 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, TN 37210

9′ Granite Soldier

After the Civil War, women formed an association to raise funds to purchase a distinct plot of land at the cemetery for the interment of Confederate dead. It was used for the interment of soldiers who had died on nearby battlegrounds and as a memorial to their sacrifice. Women organized such memorial associations and raised money for interment of Southern soldiers in cities across the South and areas where there were concentrations of bodies. The Nashville memorial association arranged for burials of about 1,500 soldiers here. Confederate veterans were also eligible for burial. – Wikipedia

Confederate Memorial Hall: The chamber was constructed in 1856, when Mount Olivet opened, as a holding vault. Underground, it allowed the deceased to be kept at cooler temperatures. Embalming procedures improved in the 1860’s, but the structure is believed to have been used well into the 20th Century. It is open to the public and includes a timeline of significant individuals related to the Civil War in Nashville. The Hall located on the left main drive, on the right side near the crest of the hill.

Confederate Circle

Seven Confederate generals are buried in or around the circle. They are William B. Bate, William N.R, Bealle, Benjamin Franklin Cheatham, William H. Jackson, George E. Maney, James E. Rains, and Thomas Benton Smith. Other prominent Nashville Confederates, Colonels Adolphus Heiman and Randall McGavock, lie nearby.

This 45-foot granite monument marks the center of the Confederate Circle.